Stock & Bone Broth
Having stock on hand is a staple of our family. We use it for soup bases, gravy, chicken pot pie and so much more. If you’ve shopped for the chicken stock recently you’ll notice the price increase is insane. And it’s usually filled with “stuff” your body just doesn’t need.
We make all of our own pork, chicken, turkey, and beef stock at home.
Here’s how we do it: (based on chicken but the process is the same for the others as well).
Ingredients
2 medium onions (optional)
2 stalks of celery, with leaves (optional)
2 medium carrots (optional)
2 cloves garlic (optional)
2 ½ pounds chicken carcass
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (optional)
3 tablespoon cider vinegar (help break down the bone and release the marrow) * 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns (optional)
½ teaspoon dried marjoram (optional)
½ teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
8 cups water, or as needed (fill to the max line in the instant pot) Often times we just use the carcass, water, and apple cider vinegar. Then add the optional herbs when preparing a meal. This gives us more flexibility when preparing the meal.
Directions
1. Without peeling any skin or trimming any ends, prepare vegetables: Roughly chop onions. Roughly slice celery and carrots. Smash garlic gloves.
2. Place chicken carcasses in a 6-quart multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorns, marjoram, and thyme. Loosely pack down. Add enough water to reach the max fill level. Close and lock the lid.
3. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 2 1/2 hours. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
4. Release pressure using the natural-release method according to the manufacturer's instructions for 45 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. 5. Use a mesh strainer to strain solids from liquids. Cool and remove the solidified layer of fat if you wish.
Once strained you can pressure the can for later use. Follow your pressure canning guidelines.
Enjoy!!